Grinding machine having a safety device

ABSTRACT

A grinding machine includes a work table for supporting a work piece to be ground, a grinding member movable relative to the work piece, and a load cell attached to the grinding member for detecting an engagement of the grinding member onto the work piece or for detecting a reactive force of the work piece against the grinding member. The load cell may send out a signal in order to stop or to move the grinding member relative to the work piece in order to suitably working or grinding the work piece when the grinding member is engaged onto the work piece with an overload.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a grinding machine, and more particularly to a grinding machine having a safety device for preventing the work piece from being over ground by the grinding machine.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical grinding machines may include a grinding wheel or a grinding member or the like, and a computerized device or a central processing unit or a programmable unit is further provided and coupled to the grinding wheel or the grinding member for actuating the grinding wheel or the grinding member to grind or to work against the work pieces. When the work pieces include a uneven outer peripheral surface, the grinding wheel or the grinding member may be deeply engaged into the work pieces and may be jammed or stuck onto the work pieces.

[0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional grinding machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a grinding machine including a safety device for preventing the work piece from being over ground by the grinding machine.

[0007] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a grinding machine comprising a work table for supporting a work piece to be ground, a grinding member movable relative and toward and away from the work table and the work piece, and a load cell attached to the grinding member for detecting an engagement of the grinding member onto the work piece and for sending out a signal in order to stop the grinding member or to move the grinding member relative to the work table or the work piece in order to suitably working or grinding the work piece.

[0008] A housing may further be provided for supporting the grinding member, the load cell being attached to the housing for detecting a load or a reactive force of the work piece against the grinding member.

[0009] A processing unit, such as a programmable unit or the like, may further be provided and coupled to the load cell for receiving a signal from the load cell and for determining or for adjusting the moving strokes or the moving path of the grinding member relative to the work piece.

[0010] A bolt may further be provided and coupled to the load cell for moving the grinding member toward and away from the work table, particularly for moving the grinding member toward and away from the work table along a Z-axis. A movable device may further be provided for moving the work table along an X-axis and/or a Y-axis.

[0011] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a grinding machine in accordance with the present invention; and

[0013]FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 are plane schematic views illustrating the operation of the grinding machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a grinding machine in accordance with the present invention comprises a work table 20 for supporting one or more work pieces 10 thereon. A typical movable device 30 is provided for supporting the work table 20 and for moving the work table 20 along either an X-axis or a Y-axis. The sliding mechanism of the movable device 30 for moving the work table 20 along the X-axis and/or the Y-axis is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.

[0015] The grinding machine further includes a grinding member 40, such as a grinding wheel or a grinding barrel or a grinding belt or the like, disposed or provided above the work piece 10 and rotatably coupled to a housing 41. A sending device or a detecting device, such as a so-called load cell 50 is disposed on the housing 41 of the grinding member 40 and coupled to the grinding machine body with a bolt 51 or the like which may move the grinding member 40 upward and downward along the Z-axis, and upward and downward toward and away from the work piece 10.

[0016] A computerized device or a central processing unit 60 or a programmable unit is further provided and coupled to the grinding wheel or the grinding member 40 with a cable 52 or the like, for actuating the grinding wheel or the grinding member 40 to grind or to work against the work pieces 10. The required date for working or machining against the work piece 10 may be entered into the computerized device or the central processing unit 60 or the programmable unit with such as a keyboard or the like. For example, the moving stroke of the grinding member 40, particularly the moving distances or the moving strokes of the grinding member 40 along the X-axis or the Y-axis or the Z-axis may be entered into the processing unit 60 before the grinding member 40 is actuated.

[0017] In operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the work piece 10 may include an upwardly curved upper peripheral surface. The moving stroke or the moving distance “L” of the grinding member 40 may be previously or predetermined and entered into the processing unit 60. When the grinding member 40 is engaged onto the work piece 10 at the contact point 70, a reactive force may be apply against the grinding member 40, such that the load cell 50 may detect a load or the reactive force and may send out a signal to the processing unit 60 which may then move the work table 20 with the movable device 30 and/or the bolt 51 in order to stop the grinding member 40 or to move the grinding member 40 relative to the work piece 10, for example, to move or elevate the grinding member 40, for allowing the grinding member 40 to grind the upper portion of the upwardly curved surface of the work piece and for allowing the work piece 10 to be suitably ground by the grinding member 40.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving stroke or the moving distance “L” of the grinding member 40 may also be predetermined and entered into the processing unit 60. When the grinding member 40 is engaged onto the work piece 10 at the contact point 70, the load cell 50 may also detect a load or the reactive force and may send out a signal to the processing unit 60 which may then move the grinding member 40 relative to the work piece 10 or the work table 20 or to stop the grinding member 40 for allowing the work piece 10 to be suitably ground by the grinding member 40.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, when grinding an inclined surface of the work piece 10, the grinding member 40 may be moved away or rearward relative to the work piece 10 when the load cell 50 has detected a signal or when the grinding member 40 is engaged onto the work piece 10 at the contact point 70. The processing unit 60 may then control and move the grinding member 40 upward for a predetermined height and move forward again to suitably grind the inclined surface of the work piece 10.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, when grinding an uneven surface of the work piece 10, the moving stroke or the moving distance “L” of the grinding member 40 may also be predetermined and entered into the processing unit 60. When the grinding member 40 is engaged onto the work piece 10 at the contact point 77, with an overload, that is not predetermined and entered into the processing unit 60, the load cell 50 may also detect a load or the reactive force and may send out a signal to the processing unit 60 which may then stop the grinding member 40 for allowing the grinding member 40 to be fixed or repaired or to be adjusted by the workers in order to suitably grind the work piece 10.

[0021] The load cell 50 thus may be used to detect the engagement of the grinding member 40 onto the work piece 10, or may be used to detect the load or the reactive force of the work piece 10 against the grinding member 40, and/or may be used to send out a detected signal to the processing unit 60 which may then actuate the grinding member 40 to move relative to the work piece 10 and to suitably grind the work piece 10. For example, the grinding member 40 may be predetermined to grind into the work piece 10 for a suitable thickness, such as about 0.5 cm, and the load cell 50 may be predetermined to accept a predetermined load without sending out a signal. When the grinding member 40 is engaged onto the work piece 10 having a thickness more than 1 cm, such as the contact point 77 of FIG. 5, the work piece 10 may apply a reactive force against the grinding member 40 and thus against the load cell 50 which may then send out a signal to stop the grinding member 40. The load cell 50 may thus be used as a safety device for preventing the grinding member 40 from being deeply engaged into the work piece 10, and for allowing the work piece 10 to be suitably or effectively machined.

[0022] Accordingly, the grinding machine includes a safety device for preventing the work piece from being over ground by the grinding machine.

[0023] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A grinding machine comprising: a work table for supporting a work piece to be ground, a grinding member movable relative and toward and away from said work table and the work piece, and a load cell attached to said grinding member for detecting an engagement of said grinding member onto the work piece.
 2. The grinding machine according to claim 1 further comprising a housing for supporting said grinding member, said load cell being attached to said housing.
 3. The grinding machine according to claim 1 further comprising a processing unit coupled to said load cell for receiving a signal from said load cell.
 4. The grinding machine according to claim 1 further comprising a bolt coupled to said load cell for moving said grinding member toward and away from said work table.
 5. A grinding machine comprising: a work table for supporting a work piece to be ground, a grinding member movable relative and toward and away from said work table and the work piece, a load cell attached to said grinding member for detecting an engagement of said grinding member onto the work piece, and means for actuating said grinding member to work against the work piece.
 6. The grinding machine according to claim 5 further comprising a housing for supporting said grinding member, said load cell being attached to said housing.
 7. The grinding machine according to claim 5, wherein said actuating means includes a processing unit coupled to said load cell for receiving a signal from said load cell.
 8. The grinding machine according to claim 5, wherein said actuating means includes a bolt coupled to said load cell for moving said grinding member toward and away from said work table. 